The present invention relates to a device hereinafter called xe2x80x9cuniversal shelvingxe2x80x9d, which is designed to facilitate the positioning of articles displayed on a store shelf. This device permits to move the articles closer to the front edge of the shelf and thus to ensure frontal display of the articles in an easy and efficient manner.
In retail stores, it is desirable that the articles displayed on shelves extend near the front edges of the shelves, because such gives an impression of cleanliness and order. Frontal display is also desirable for the consumer since she/he does not have to reach to the back of the shelf to pick up the desired article, in the case where the other articles placed in front of it have already been picked up. Such a frontal display may in fact allow the store owner to increase his/her sales by displaying the articles in a more desirable fashion. Such a frontal display also allows the consumer to have quicker and easier access to the article labels and thus to shop more pleasantly.
However, to maintain such a frontal display requires a great deal of time from grocery clerks. Moreover, many articles may be broken or damaged when the articles are repositioned to the front of the shelf.
Many attempts have been made to solve the above problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,963 describes a display device comprising a puller member for use to bring articles toward the front of a shelf. The device also comprises a base plate provided with slits in which T-shaped rods are inserted. The puller member as well as the partitions are mounted between these T-shaped rods which also hold them in place. This device seems efficient, but it lacks flexibility with regards to the adjustment of the partitions and puller member to ensure that the device extends to the maximum extent, over the length of the shelves. The partitions in the device can only be positioned at distances that are predetermined by the positions of the slits on the base plate. As a result, the articles placed on the shelf are not necessarily packed tightly between the partitions and the shelf may then contain fewer rows of articles because of the loss of space between the rows. This loss of space on the shelf can result in a decrease in sales and thus, in financial losses. The device also requires a large number of pieces to assemble it. Indeed, in addition to the required base plate, puller member, backstop assembly and partitions, a minimum of eight (8) T-shaped rods are required to properly assemble and use the device. The necessity of having eight (8) rods to install each row of articles makes the assembly of the device time consuming and also more susceptible to have pieces break during assembly or use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,869 describes a display device which comprises a base, a puller member, a backstop assembly, partitions and connecting means to connect all the pieces together. The base and the partitions are made of plates having a number of parallel back-to-back V-grooves. The grooves are devised to allow easy breakage of the plates in order to obtain the desired dimension thus forming the base and partitions of the device. To assemble the device, the plates are sized (i.e. broken) in order to properly receive the articles to be placed. In use, one cannot adjust the size of the base plate without having to break the plates along the V-grooves. After a first use, the plates whose dimensions have been modified by breakage can now only be used for articles of the same or of a smaller size. Obviously, this limits the possibility of modifications of the display by a merchant. Moreover, the device is tedious to modify since each plate has two sides inserted in the connecting means which hold the plates, the puller member and the partitions together. Therefore, to modify the width of a row, the plates must be detached from their respective connectors, broken to the right size, and then reinserted into their connectors in order to maintain the symmetry of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,976 describes an article display device comprising side rails used to support the articles to be displayed, base rails serving to support the side rails and a puller member used to bring the articles toward the front of the shelf. The patent mentions materials that can be used as means to connect the side rails to the base rails. More specifically, it mentions Velcro(trademark), double-sided tape and non-permanent adhesives. Those materials are interesting. However, after multiple adjustments, they may lose their strength and efficiency, thereby affecting the stability of the entire device. Also, the puller member is not stabilized within the device and is therefore free to move around, which can make the device difficult to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,229 describes a display device similar to the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,976. The connecting means disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,229 for use to connect the side rails and the base rails consist of Velcro(trademark). Once again, wear and tear after repeated use, leads to a loss of strength and efficiency of said connecting means and thus a loss of stability of the entire device. Moreover, the device has a puller member made of a rod which is not stabilized within the device and which may be displaced from the central axis, and thus can make the device difficult to use.
Applicant""s Canadian laid-open patent application No. CA 2,233,761 describes a display device comprising two side rails acting as support for the articles to be displayed and a backstop assembly fastened to the back end of the puller member. The puller member is placed between the two side rails which are previously individually fastened on the shelf. The width of the puller member determines the width between the two side rails and therefore the size of the products which may be placed on the rails. This device is very simple because it only requires to pull a puller member in order to bring forward the articles. However, it is not adaptable to articles of different sizes. Moreover, the side rails are very bulky and thus, do not permit to obtain a maximum number of rows of articles on each shelf. This leads retailers to lose a considerable amount of display space.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a display device of an improved structure to move forward articles placed on a shelf in a simple and efficient manner, in order to facilitate their frontal display.
A second object of the invention is to provide a device whose dimensions may be easily and rapidly modified to allow display of articles of dimensions completely different from those of articles previously displayed, thereby reducing to a minimum extent the loss of space on the shelf.
The device according to the invention fulfills these two objects, in that it allows the frontal display in an easy and efficient manner of the articles placed on a shelf, and it also permits to modify the width of the rows easily and rapidly in order to display articles of dimensions completely different from those of articles previously displayed.
The device according to the invention comprises positioning means, preferably consisting of rigid rods, which are installed on the shelf so as to extend in parallel relationship with respect to the front edge of the shelf. The device also comprises two parallel side rails acting as a support for the articles, a central rail, a puller member and a backstop assembly. Each of the side rails comprises a top side, a bottom side, two lateral sides, a front end, a back end and fastening means, such as notches, for connecting the side rails on the positioning means in such a way that they extend perpendicularly to the front edge of the shelf. The central rail comprises a top side, a bottom side, a front end, a back end, two lateral sides, and fastening means such as notches, for connecting the central rail on the positioning means between the two side rails in a parallel relationship with respect thereto. The puller member is mounted onto the central rail in such a way as to extend in parallel relationship with respect to the side rails. The puller member has a front end and a back end. The backstop assembly is located at the back end of the puller member. It extends vertically and is designed to move the articles placed on the top side of the side rails and in front of the backstop assembly toward the front end of the side rails when the puller member is pulled.
The device according to the invention is attractive inasmuch as it permits to move forward articles placed on a shelf in a simple and efficient manner. Thanks to its improved structure, one may use to a maximum extent the space of the shelf for displaying articles. The device according to the invention is also attractive inasmuch as it is easily adjustable thanks to its fastening means, which allows fast modification of the display device as a function of the dimensions of the articles to be displayed.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, partitions which are preferably extremely thin, are provided to retain the articles on the side rails and to guide them. These partitions can be attached on the lateral sides of the side rails which are the farthest from the central rail. The side rails are advantageously designed to receive partitions on either side of the rails. Such makes these side rails interchangeable and thus reduces the number of different pieces necessary for assembling the device. All the side rails, whatever be their final position, are actually identical.